The present disclosure relates generally to the field of batteries and battery modules. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to battery cells that may be used in vehicular contexts (e.g., xEVs), as well as other energy storage/expending applications.
Vehicles using electric power for all or a portion of their motive power (e.g., electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and the like, collectively referred to as “electric vehicles” (xEVs)) may provide a number of advantages compared to more traditional gas-powered vehicles using internal combustion engines. For example, electric vehicles may produce fewer undesirable emission products and may exhibit greater fuel efficiency as compared to vehicles using internal combustion engines (and, in some cases, such vehicles may eliminate the use of gasoline entirely, as is the case of certain types of PHEVs).
As electric vehicle technology continues to evolve, there is a need to provide improved power sources (e.g., battery systems or modules) for such vehicles. For example, it is desirable to increase the distance that such vehicles may travel without the need to recharge the batteries. Additionally, it may also desirable to improve the performance of such batteries and to reduce the cost associated with the battery systems. For example, for an xEV battery system, it may be desirable for a battery system to be suitably packaged to properly function in a wide range of environmental conditions (e.g., heat, cold, moisture, vibrations, and so forth) that the battery system may encounter during operation.